April 11, 2013

A study of contact lens wearers conducted by the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center has found that while 85 percent of all wearers claim to follow their doctors’ instructions for lens care and usage, only two percent actually comply with all of the basic recommendations. Specifically, 64 percent wear their contacts while swimming or showering or playing water sports, 56 percent fail to remove them before going to sleep, 52 percent wear them for weeks or months longer than they’re instructed to before replacing them, and 49 percent neglect to wash their hands before handling the lenses. Other bad habits include using water instead of saline solution when cleaning lenses, and not using fresh contact lens solution. Currently some 36 million Americans wear contact lenses.

A new hospital gown that preserves a patient’s dignity by closing completely in the front and back is being tested at Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit. The gown, made of a thicker cotton/polyester blend than current gowns, costs about the same to produce and is designed to keep patients warmer. Colored snaps and stitching along the left and right sides of the gown make it easy to put on. "Our No. 1 goal was to close the backside of the gown with our design," says designer Michael Forbes. "A simple change can have a large impact on the patients' stay at a hospital. By creating a hospital gown that is safe, stylish and comfortable, we've made the patient feel more at home, like they're wearing their own garments." The goal is to license the design and produce the gown for use nationally.